Fallout: Forgotton Lands - Chapter One
by thetrueCrystalvixen
Summary: War... a word that leaves a less than tastefull sense in the world. Wrought on by man, woman, nations, the endless key to a worlds oblivion. Near two centuries have passed since the destruction of the world, vault AU- 24 is openeing for its survival.. or so it weould seem. The question is whether the good come from the saved, or evil intentions are the real intent.


**Chapter One: **Remnants of Civilization

_"Bright eyed and bushy-tailed to be here." _

_"…Yeah, bright eyed- Wait you have a tail?!'" _

_"…"_

I smiled brightly, with a forced toothy grin. Hoping my world didn't shatter.

With a nervous sigh, I lowered my Pip-Boy down, to see my audience. Instead of seeing the forced smiling faces such as my own, I saw half the class was looking bored, a third were watching their Pip-boy chrono meters and the rest stared at me with snide grins. Not good. I turned my head, facing the teacher at the front desk with a sheepish smile.

He looked at me, not a change in his face as he sighed. "Miss Winter, though your rendition of your past life is good in context, the subject of the assignment was historical analysis of our vault."

I blinked, taken aback. I had talked about the vaults history hadn't I? Why it was built, what we did day in, day out, even talked about sandwiches. Our vault made everything for sandwiches, how was that not history? I turned my attention back to my teacher. "I did analyse the vault, if I kept what else I wrote, we would be here until dinner."

He raised an eyebrow at me, which sends his glasses sliding down his the bridge of his nose. "Miss Winter, may I ask what you kept? How much more was there?" he questioned me.

Cautiously, I shifted my eyes, glancing again at my Pip-Boy, seeing the glowing numbers nearing lunch. This would save me the embarrassment of telling him that I had written and made a good presentation, but complications had made my final speech unusable. Thankfully the bell rang, signalling lunch time for all students, teachers and security personal on B shift. "Sir, with all due respect, I talked about all topics listed." I managed a small smile as I spoke, "I could stay after classes and explain it thoroughly."

He tapped his pen against the nameplate on his desk, I read MR REINARD at least seven times before I heard his sigh, his very, 'I am disappointed' sigh. "Very well miss Winter, after class, this afternoon." he smiled as he stood up, looking at the rest of the class. Who were all packed up five minutes ago and were grinning at the exchange between Mr Reinard and I.

Wow, it worked. Brilliant Ambi. Just brilliant. Give yourself a cookie.

"Class, go to lunch. I expect you all to have already finished your Historical essays," Reinard chuckled and waved his hand at the other students as they started to leave with grumbling tones, "Now, now. Essays are boring, but they count towards what shift duties you get." That quieted them. Everyone hated shift duties; I think they were called 'chores' before the bombs fell. I always ended up with the worst jobs; cleaning duty, garbage disposal and the like- no matter how good I do in tests and homework.

As I walked out of the class, I fiddled with my books, taking a left I headed down the hall that led to the cafeteria. To me it always seemed that Vault-tech were thinking logically when they designed vault 24's layout, the cafeteria, training rooms and classrooms were on the same level, to keep students where they were supposed to be I suppose. As I trudged along, listening to my classmates' laughter, I wondered what I could tell Mr Reinard, the truth. Or a hastily

constructed half-lie.

"Did you hear? Some of the crop died. I bet it was something in the air filter." A brown haired boy with a cap told his friend beside him.

A tall boy frowned beside him, "I thought it had something to do with that infection the cows got." He replied, looking at me. "Speaking of infection…"

I turned my head away and walked past them, and towards two women. One was comforting the other as she cried into her shoulder.

"There, there Cheryl, it wasn't anyone's fault."

Cheryl, a dark haired woman hugged the taller women close, "I don't know how Willamenia can be so strong. This is the second still-born she's had."

The taller woman looked at me, "Sometimes people aren't't lucky." I bowed my head and nodded in sympathy to Cheryl. Her sister was stronger in spirit than her, but perhaps not in body.

While I was pondering I didn't notice until the last second that I had passed the twin terrors of my classes' age bracket, Marko and Melanie.

"Hey Snowflake~" Melanie sing-songed, slipping her arm over my shoulder, pulling my body close to hers. "How'd the talk with teach go?" she smiled, playing with a lock of my hair as her brother moved to my other side, just staring at his sister and me.

Her game was simple; play nice, manipulate me and pry secrets and details out of me to use later in her nefarious plans, as I had been the butt of many of her and Marko's pranks over the years. They were worse when they were younger, more physical attacking than mental. I could of course get help from security. Which was a bad idea. Considering that both of the siblings were prodigies, one was a hacker, the other an entertainer; not to mention their mother was the Overseer. I was in deep cow dung. I smiled. "Was okay."

A grin spread across her cheeks.

Followed by a sharp pain that burst through my hip as Melanie dug her fingers into my side, leaning her head against mine. "Oh, Snowflake, don't lie to me. I don't like being lied to." she said sweetly, digging her nails deeper into my side with every word.

Marko had the audacity to pat my hips and go through my pockets, drawing out my

Butter-scotch candy. He took a moment to look at the bright sunny orange packaging then slid it into his pocket and continued his search for anything I had. Which was stupid, I knew better than that to keep anything more than candy and bobby-pins on me when I wandered the halls and rooms of the vault in the off chance I came across someone who wanted to check my pockets. "Not going to tell on us, are you?" I tilted my head slightly, hoping that took that as a vague yes-no.

They both leered at me.

I vacantly stared back at them, well sort of cockeyed, considering I had a problem with my eyes sometimes, until I spotted Nathan Garring trotting down hall in front of me. He was nose-deep in a magazine, _Call that a Knife, _about melee weapons when he unceremoniously bumped into

Marko. "Sorry, sorry-" he started as he looked up into Marko's red, but ever so slightly freckled face, "Oh. Marko and Melanie." he nodded at Melanie stepping to the side, extending his hand down the hall. "I believe your mother is asking whether or not you two were looking after your cousin."

Melanie loosened her grip and pulled away, I sighed under my breath. Felt so much better not to be stabbed by her tough as iron nails. I swear that girl could cleave flesh from bone.

"Nathan." Marko grunted, walking down the hall, leaving his sister standing beside me.

She looked at Nathan and grinned, "See you later Nathan." she looked to me. "Bye Winter, next time I'll get the information with earthly delight." she cooed too sweetly, words dripping with poison as she walked away on the balls off her feet with her long gold hair trailing behind her.

I stood there with Nathan in silence for a few seconds; it was awkward after Melanie's vain attempt at implied torture or perhaps implied rape. Either way, I was scared of her. I shook my head, dragging my mind away from those thoughts I notice Nathan waggling a hand in front of me. "Whhaaaaat?"

He smiled, taking my hand while pulling a dozen Butter-scotch candies, from his pocket, then dumping them into my hand. "Thought you might need these."

I blinked. "Bought for me?" I knew that Nathan sometimes, 'borrowed'' things without asking, I just hoped that these were bought with guilt-free credits from the vault Canteen, and not from someone's pocket or room.

He gave me his trade-mark sly smile and tapped the tip of his nose, "Need to know basis." with that he chuckled, pulling up his magazine to resume reading and walked away towards the cafeteria.

Leaving me more confused than ever, was he a thief or was I just ignorant?

Denied.

I leant my head forward and sighed against the cool metal of the auto-dispenser. I raised my wrist, rubbing my Pip-Boy 3000's screen gingerly, removing any grime or built up dust. I tried on the off chance, waving my arm under the scanner again, hoping it was just a smudge on my Pip-boy screen.

Denied. Warning, lockout if repeat access with Pip-boy of insufficient funds.

Please contact supervisor.

Closing my eyes, I bit my lip, tapping the Vault-tec cafeteria screen. I despised this. I barely ate as it was, barely scrapping a meal for dinner and an orange for breakfast, and the twins had once again looted my meagre amount of credits and food had. Of course considering that Marko looked like an idiot, he had surprising hacking skills and could easily manipulate what shift I got and what food credits I received.

What I wouldn't give for a plate of Meat and potatoes.

I stood there for a few seconds longer, and trudged away across the immaculate checked tiles and sat next to Nathan who was talking with a burgundy haired girl named Jene, about maintenance issues and why using Wonderglue for garnish would be a bad idea. I vaguely paid attention, bowing my head in my hands, vainly trying to ignore the scent of his toast and her streaming bowl of soup beside her unopened sandwich.

"Someone pilfering your credits again?"

I looked up into Jene's dark brown eyes and shook my head. No need for her to worry. My stomach disagreed and rumbled loudly, spreading a blush across my face.

Digestion gave me away again, which wasn't the first time. When I was younger, bullies had chased me into hiding and I had been starving. I managed to hide for hours, but my stomach always groaned loudly when I was running on empty, and always at the worst time.

Jene politely smiled, pushing her sandwich over to my side of the table, while Nathan plunked an orange in between my elbows. I blinked and smiled broadly, as I tore the wrapper off the sandwich, devouring it and tearing up.

"Yousshh soo goodf-!" I said between bites and hacked, swallowed the mouthful and banged on my chest. I smiled sheepishly at the two table companions and shrug.

"I think we should perhaps make a stockpile of food for you…" Jene smiled with a shrug, "After all, mum would kill me if her little sister died from a lack of food.

"She would eat all of it within an hour knowing her." Nathan chuckled, tapping my stomach with his rolled up magazine, "No idea where she puts it all, or why she is so shrimpy."

I frowned and puffed out my cheeks, I wasn't short, I was less than 3 centimetres shorter than Jene, and she was a year older than me. Giving me an apologetic look Jene sighed, she knew what he really meant, as did I. I looked more like a child than a 17 year old, I barely broke five feet and was skinny as a rake, with large eyes and child-like features that made most Vault people call me the little Farm girl. Which, was uncalled for, everyone was practically a farmer in the vault.

Huffing I left the table with a vague excuse about needing to go to the bathroom before class resumed and made my way down to the training room.

"Alright ladies, you know the drill; aim, time your shot, shoot and reload."

An unbridled huff of agreement went through the line of teenagers, all taking stance and steadied their positions around me. "Alright, on my mark." the platinum blonde arms teacher pulled a headset over her ears, the green bar shading over her eyes as it linked to her Pip-Boy. Raising a hand she counted down from three to one as a green light blinked above her.

The dozen or so students shot the targets with varying accuracy; some shot near the edges some near several feet off, while others poured through their bullets like air. After minutes of multiple targets, most of which were stationary circles on turnstiles, the woman raised her hand as the light above the targets flashed red.

"Okay pansies, stop your shooting, hand in your guns and get back to class."

I stood back, waiting for the other students to pass first and return their guns to Clarisse; who promptly ejected the magazines and chambers into a large round plastic bin to her left and gingerly placed each gun in a large tray to her right. As I watched the last of my peers go, I wandered forward, handing the 9mml to her.

Regarding me with cools eyes; she ejected the magazine and chuckled. "Doing better out there Ambi," she smiled, checking the sight before, placing it away and tapped a button for the tray to recede into a long footlocker.

I shrugged. "No better than usual."

Clarisse sighed, locking the footlocker and stood, ruffling my hair. "Just hold on Amb's, everyone finds their calling." I looked at her blankly, unfazed from the talk she had given me so many times before. "Well, you know I'm right."

Shrugging, I plucked the head-set off her head and placed it on the bench next to her. "If it were that easy."

Giving me her calmest, 'Listen to your older sibling.' look, she punched my arm with a grin. "Amb's, I know things get tough for you, but it always works out in the end for you. Just have faith in yourself."

That I always found hard to believe, faith in one's ability and invisible forces such as luck and God were irksome to think about. Let alone to rely upon in times of trouble and desperate need. I sighed and just nodded. "I'll try to."

"You'll try to try," Clarisse smiled, un-tying her ringlet hair, a wave of white-blonde flitting over her shoulders, "And that's all that counts with me. That you try and do your best." We both smiled and then she snickered, "But if you manage to win something, don't forget to share it with your favourite big sister."

I chuckled and couldn't help to give her a big grin and a hug. I loved my sisters, even if they had the luck of normal names and greater height than I did. "So are you going to see Bell?"

Clarisse nodded and sighed, motioning me out of the room and locking it with her key card, "How she and Gasper got sick is beyond me. I mean both are borderline neat freaks."

With a small laugh, I added, "And considering the Gasper is a scientist and on occasion a nurse."

My older sibling snickered, how I adored her.

*** *** *** An insisting alarm squawked into my ear.

Irrefutable beeping that would not let my sleep. With my eyes still closed, I slapped my hand over my Pip-Boy alarm, pleading for it to be quiet for the next twenty-four hours. Groggily I rose, rolling out of bed and stumbled to my feet. I stretched my tired muscles, glancing across from my bed, I noticed that my mother had already left for her shift.

Checking my chrono as I grabbed a clean jumpsuit, I was early for once. After taking a shower in the communal bathroom- and after walking in on Jene doing her impression of Melanie PMSing over the remark on the chalk board over her promiscuous habits, my day was off to its usual sanity. Luckily, it was the weekend. This was usually just wandering around the vault, finishing homework, work detail and chatting to friends until Monday rolled around.

I wandered across the hall to my sister's apartment and taped on the door. I tilted my head side-to-side and hummed a tuneless melody until the metal door slide upwards. I stopped and smiled awkwardly, looking into the face of the head scientist.

"Hello Winter…" she gave me a taut look, with a trademark sigh of aggravation as I looked everywhere but her face, stared at my feet, the wall. Her name tag too, the ridiculousness of having one in a Vault considering Pip-Boy's had all tags already accessible when you turned ten.

"Mrs Walker, is Clarisse in? I need-"

Before I got any further, Mrs Walker looked at me and I shut my mouth. "Clarisse Winter has caught the contagion that Belle Winter and Gasper McBree caught several days ago. I suggest you go back to your quarters and finish your week-end assignments."

As I watched her walk away I noticed that one of her fellow scientists was taking samples of Clarisse's and Belle's quarters and packing them into a doctor's bag. I smiled; as I knew who the scientist was, no mistaking him for anyone else. I took a deep breath, just as he stood up and stretched.

"Gasper you're better!" I cried, throwing my arms out and around him from behind. I smooshed into his crisp and clean lab coat, with a big smile on my face.

With a short chuckle he sighed, "If that is a certain blonde girl who hid in my air-duct last week, she should let go of me before her mother accuses me of fraternization."

I sighed, letting my arms fall to my side and rocked back onto my heels with a smile as Gaspar turned around to face me. "Will you drop by medical with me later? I want to see how Belle and Clarisse are doing."

Gaspar shrugged as he waved me out of the room, "I wouldn't bother anyone in Medical for that. After all, it could be contagious."

How bad could it be? I mean everyone has had the chicken pox, and common flues and both

Clarisse and Belle were really careful about sickness. "But what about their shifts?"

Gaspar gave me a look. Of course that was most likely already taken care of, Belle worked in the harvest levels with plenty of other people and considering it was the summer phase of the harvest there was not much going on. Since Clarisse was in security she had several others to temporarily take her place and swap her shift for another slot. "Okay…" I sighed and wandered back to the quarters I shared with my mother and Major.

*** *** *** I didn't get it.

Clarisse and Belle were still in medical isolation after several days, and every time I tried to see them, Dr. Johnson or the Overseer would turn me away or suggest I go to my quarters and wait it out. I was sure something was going on… but I was supposed to trust in the Overseer, trust her with my life.

On Wednesday morning, at least I thought it was a Wednesday, I had trouble remembering what day it was. It was a week since talking to Bell and four days since seeing Clarisse, I sat at the cafeteria at lunch with Nathan and Jene for a cram session. Or at least help for the stupid math test. Who puts an Overseer question in a test? It was ridiculous and stupid at the very least.

I huffed, looking up at Jene, who gave me a look of resignation. "Ambi, either stop huffing, or just get over it. I miss my mother too you know."

Guilt.

I shouldn't't't forget that Belle was her mother. I pouted and hung my head, "Sorry Jene, but it's just weird." My study buddies gave me a look.

Nathan sighed, placing his pen down on his text book and lifted his Pip-Boy. He fiddled with the button and knobs; a click and a beep every few seconds. He gave me a smile and pulled out his Pip-Boys access cable and opened my Pip-Boys port. "You can track people by their Pip-Boy tags, similar to Friend-or-Foe that connects to visual display."

Jene shivered, "It's weird to think the data scrolls across our eye-balls."

That was one of the creepy things about Pip-Boys I agreed with, that and how the Pip-Boy somehow knew what I had in my pockets. I theorised Pip-Boys produced small 'waves' of energy through the clothing and able to detect an objects structure and guess it from a list. Or it had pictures or something in its massive data-storage.

Nathan gave me a smile; I had zoned out again. "So what can that do for me?" I asked as he snapped my port closed and wound the cable back into his Pip-Boy.

He grinned, waving his hand at me. "I can access the medical security camera from an access port down the hall. You just need to go be you."

My eyebrow twitched, "Be me?" Jene chuckled behind her hand. Nathan stood, giving me a grin, "Distract them."

I stood outside Medical, taking a breath I entered and smiled. "Hello Maribel-" I blinked. Instead of the red haired being at her desk as usual, she was standing near several charts next to empty bed and talking to Mrs Walker.

Looking through a doorway, I noticed that isolation room A, B, and C were empty. "Mrs Walker, where are my sisters?"

The black haired woman eyed me, turning her body to face me. "Your siblings are in confinement. They are being monitored in the lab." Her eye twitched, creasing her barely aged

face. I swear that she had some age defying gene in her, she was about fifty after all.

I crossed my arms, and activated my sisters Pip-Boy tags, they did not point North-West as expected, they were facing to the South-East. I stared into Walker's eyes, she was lying to me. "Please, tell me where they are."

Walker glanced down at my Pip-Boy, putting two and two together. She snatched up my wrist, I dodged back, I tried pushing her away, but I wasn't exactly strong. She held my wrist and tore through the multiple screens, accessing the deeper information and moved her fingers rapidly on the buttons and knobs. "You are not privy to this information, as of three days ago,"

Delete selected items? Pip-B/

What was she- I looked again, as the over-head lights created a glare.

Delete selected items? Pip-Boy tags?

No, she could not do that! She wasn't trained! She did not have authorization to do this! "No! Stop!" I twisted my arm away, "There's something going on and I want my sisters!" I cried out as she dug her nails into my arm, my Pip-Boy beeped and notified me of the deletion.

Both women let me go. I stared at them, furious at what they had done. I looked from Maribel's guilty face to Walker's. "You won't hear the end of this." I turned away and heard Maribel sigh and walk towards the charts hung on hooks on the far wall.

"I know we won't," I heard the older woman whisper sadly, knowing I would keep trying to find my siblings and Gaspar, no matter how long it took.

Growling, I grabbed Nathan's arm in one hand and Jene's in the other. I dragged them into a storage closet and made Nathan lock it. I explained what Maribel and Mrs Walker had done to my Pip-Boy and where my sister's and Gasper's tags had been pointing.

Jene gave me befuddled look, "T-that's impossible. Even the head scientist can't delete tags without the Pip-Boy's owner compliant in the action and without a certified Pip-Boy Technician present, that breaks over half-a-dozen protocols." she looked shocked at that alone. Which was understandable considering she herself had been training as a Pip-Boy Technicians Apprentice for over a year now.

Nathan gave me a look and studied his own Pip-Boy, scrolling the screens to the map function. "Huh." he looked up, his bright blue eyes stared into mine. "I can say without a doubt. Your siblings have left the vault."

Jene's face blanched white and she relaxed a second later. "Ha, ha. Good one Nathan." she laughed nervously and saw the seriousness etched on Nathan's face. "It's easy… just go 'Ha, ha.' …you aren't joking are you?"

My cousin sighed, drawing her hands up to her face and rubbed her eyelids. "Whhhhy?" she lamented, "Always something else with you two. I just know you are going to just head out after them."

Shaking my head I bite my lip, "The only way out is with the Vault Access code, only the

overseer would have that." A thought occurred to me, I didn't have my sibling's tags anymore, and neither of my sisters were on good terms with our mother. Obviously I could get Nathan to hack security and seize my sister's tags from data-storage. I did not understand it completely, but the Pip-Boy tags were relayed through a node in security and stored a copy- at least that is what was taught in school during my attempt at joining the security force. Even shift D, the lazy

24:00-08:00 wouldn't't take a reject like me.

Speaking of Nathan, he had tapped my shoulder and brought his Pip-Boy close; showing me a low-level file hacked list from Medical records. Specifically; about personal effects that were submitted to be held while Clarisse Winter, Belle Winter and Gasper McBree were in medical isolation. One item in particular caught my eye.

"Belle's Pip-Boy? Why is that in Medical?" I mouthed and looked to Jene, who had busied herself by plaiting her hair. "Jene, aren't Pip-Boy's sealed until we die?" It was a valid question, I thought Pip-Boy's were pressure sealed or something, near impossible to get off.

The nervous trainee Technician shrugged, which was not helping my worry. "If someone possessed a deactivation neural code matrix-" she saw my look, she knew I did not have time for long words right now. "- an electronic master-key simply. Or, an actual physical key from a certified Pip-Boy Technician." she finished with a smile.

"With a wild guess," Nathan muttered, "You wouldn't be able to do that, considering you're rank and two, you haven't been near Pip-Boy maintenance in a week due to homework." Jene gave a short, if not snippy nod, confirming that either; Jene's boss broke conventions, my sister is gravely injured or Gaspar somehow removed the Pip-Boy for some unexplainable reason.

Or…

Or my sister was dead. No.

I refused to believe the latter outcome. Turning to Nathan I smiled, "Hack the Security tags," I unlocked the door and stepped out into the deserted hallway and turned to my friends, "Something is going on, and I am finding out tonight."

Grinding my teeth together again as I waited in my room, pacing back and forth before my bed. I had literally declared un-social behaviour on my Vault. I was willing to risk so much to find out whether or not my Pip-Boy was on the fritz or if Medical was lying to me. Truthfully I hoped my Pip-Boy was just acting up, which wouldn't be the first time.

My pacing ceased when I heard foot-steps. Quick and light balanced footsteps that knew exactly where to tread for silence. Turning I smiled at Jene standing in the doorway that lead to my mother's apartment. She nodded to me, raising her Pip-Boy while opening it's access port. Quickly she transferred several files she and Nathan had copied from the Security and the Vault's main-frame.

There was not a better team of thieves with those two, Jene knew every way into a Pip-Boy's system. While Nathan was silent, sneaky and could hack into any system under ten seconds and find any file within a few taps of the keyboard.

Huddled on my bed, Jene watched me glance at the tags well outside the Vault's boundaries. A worried crease formed on her brow as I switched the function from maps to Audio Logs and saw that there were several files that had been attached to the tags. I looked up at her, she nodded, selecting the first audio log labelled _'1# 27/12/2107' _and clicked the play button.

_"This isn't right, how can anything in our vault be infected like this?" _a sharp definitely male voice demanded.

A sigh and click. _"Evolution bypasses situations and in an isolated environment, I fear our stock has ill balance and strength to combat something so terrible."_

_"Our stock?! If we do not act soon, the entire generation will cause problems in the Vault. It wasn't built to equip exceptional numbers." _the male voice sighs, _"Who would think a vault was a perfect place for growth."_

_"With a name like Vault, I would expect progress for the Cattle." "And protection for the people of course."_

_"…of course, protection for the people."_

The audio file continued on for a few seconds and faded into a static end.

I was not sure whether these two people were talking the cows or the vault dwellers…. Either way, I did not like either of these people from the past. Shifting my hand, I selected the next file;

_2# 27/1/2157' _and selected it to play.

_"The solution has proved useful. Progress and positive results across the subjects for the past 50 years. My fellow scientists and I have found a way to stimulate the production of a natural enzyme that effectively paralyses the disease that infected the stock all those years ago. We have to be careful. And I don't mean boiled egg glued to the spoon careful. I mean hard boiled egg duct-taped, glued, and held less than centimetre above the ground." _I heard a shuffle of papers and a creak of a chair.

_"One slip-up, and we could lose the entirety of the cattle." _A deep sigh rattled the recorder in the past, _"We are lucky we have some embryo's, sperm and eggs in storage. Of course slow-growing and cattle fetus to re-start the herd might be the only option we have. The only thing stopping us from doing this is the fact that the frozen genes were for if there was a sudden death count in the cattle numbers and to supply a diverse genetic family over how long we are sealed in the vault."_

I blinked.

"Hm, I didn't know that there was a disease in the cattle. Must be non-transferable to humans." I raised an eyebrow, "Why would that be?"

She gave a little shrug, rippling her burgundy-red hair, "Because, if it were transferable to humans, we all would have died or noticed the effects of it. Considering the entire air-filtration system isn't separated errantly."

With a sigh, I skipped past any that looked like logs related to the topic of disease, I came across a file dated a little over 200 years ago labelled _'VT-AU-24-Ovrde'_

_"T-the Override code for opening Vault AU-24 door is… Dawn's light."_

My eyes widened and reached my eyebrows. I looked up into Jene's eyes and taped the play button once again.

The voice was my sister's. How could she- no, this wasn't her. Listening to it for a third time, there were slight differences in the woman's voice. I realised that I may have mistook the female voice for Belle's on the basis the unnamed voice was sweet sounding, soft and sounded terribly shy. Which was an appropriate description of Belle too.

Even if she wasn't my sister, this unnamed lady had provided me a way out. And I would bet the same way the others left as well.

As triumphant as I felt, I realised that maybe the trio had been sent out to die. Perhaps Gasper caught a highly contagious virus from his regular lab experiments to combat mutations in the herds genes and passed it onto my sisters. It was likely, only because they were best friends and were always together during their breaks and evenings. I knew that some might think my sisters were having a go with Gaspar, but I knew that Gaspar didn't look at the female gender for anything other than friendship.

I felt down-trodden. I had no right to bring them back if they were contagious. But they were my family, and I wouldn't leave my family to be in pain and die. A thought occurred to Jene as we discussed what could be done; she suggested that maybe they were sent to find a medicine for the herd. By what Jene explained to me, before the war there was a vestiary organisation that was developing a cure for a bovine flu that was similar to the Blue Flu, but was not transferable to other species. If the Overseer knew about this, that was another option to why the trio left. They may have been sent on a mission.

For hours I discussed the options with my cousin. Hours until we ended up puffy eyed from sleep deprivation and red eyes. The only thought in my head before sleep consumed me, was that I wasn't leaving my siblings out there in God knows what. We even attempted to open a large and complicated file labelled _'Priority One'_. However we both soon realised that the file wouldn't open without a clearance code or an activation password.

Beside my bed I looked at a framed picture of my sisters and I, it was taken during my sixth birthday by Gaspar. I looked at my older sisters; Clarisse with ringlets of platinum white hair, smiling with a wide grin as she smeared cake on Belle's face. Her twin smiling wryly with a giggle on her lips, the pink icing mixing into her long black hair. We were all so happy then. Even if my sisters were over a decade older than me, they always included me in their games and never left me alone. That picture set my mind to what I was going to do.

I was going to leave the Vault.

Early the next morning I lay on my bed, my face buried in my pillow, listening to the D Shift vault broadcast of today's 'events'. They were always the same; breakfast, study/class/work/, lunch, study/class/work. Followed by afternoon activities which usually involved me getting smacked in the face by a baseball or a getting a cracked rib, a flavourless dinner followed by study or whatever before sleep and night-mode in the vault. One of the pleasant things were Melanie's weekly concerts where everyone went, even me.

Rolling over, I hit my Pip-Boy on my bedside table, getting mildly annoyed at a memory of several children who had once harassed me until early morning with pranks and some demented pet dog that wasn't big enough to make a decent cutlet.

Biting my lip, I needed to prepare, in secret if I could. Nathan and Jene promised to help how they could, both of them couldn't't leave their families behind. As Nathan was responsible for his younger brother and Jene was the only Pip-Boy apprentice Technician as no one in ten years had shown any talent for it, including both class groups which consisted of children from the ages of 6-12 and the second of 13-17 year olds.

Glancing at my Pip-Boy's chrono, it was nearing 7:00 A.M. I smiled and spent the next hour preparing everything I could for outside the vault; food water and the like, everything but finding a way to sneak into the entrance area of the vault. Which took me a while to think of, but with a grin I pulled my pack over my shoulders and went in search of Nathan.

One quick explanation later to my bemused friend, we were inside the Overseer's office; looking for pass card or something to distract the security near the Atrium so I could get to the Vault door. I was supremely thankful and a bit impressed of Nathan's skills at lock picking and hacking. He easily bypassed the Overseer's door lock and got into the terminals security in less than a minute, without having to log-out of the terminal too.

Such a smart cookie.

As he worked away, I looked around the Overseer's office, as I had never had the chance to view the workspace of our glorious leader. The office was moderately decorated with a plush sofa, several bookshelfs and cupboards, mostly common things found in any Apartment in the vault, nothing really personal anywhere. I strode past a shelf and saw photographs of Melanie and Marko- singing as s duet, various performances, publicity and events, releases of new songs by Melanie and when her next concert would be. I narrowed my eyes and looked at each photo- they all looked like snap-shots by fans or what went for press or news in the vault.

I found it really odd, why on earth would the father of Melanie and Marko have photos that looked like clipping from a magazine and not any real love in the photos.

"Hm," my companion muttered, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "I have a way for you to get to the vault door Amb's."

I hovered behind him, walking over I peeked over his shoulder, "What? How?"

He gave me a look. His, 'Keep calm and wait.' look. He tapped several keys and a whirring ground behind us.

With a start, I turned around wide-eyed as the Overseer's desk rose up from the carpeted floor and a sheet of metal slid back, revealing a flight of concealed stairs. I gave Nathan a broad smile and threw myself against him, wrapping my arms around him and giving the warmest hug I could.

"Look after yourself Amb's, don't be reckless and remember to look before you leap." he whispered softly and stuffed what felt like bobby-pins into one of my pockets and a screwdriver in the other. "Remember patience with locks and how to hack." he drew away and shooed me down the tunnel.

"I'll be careful Nathan." I nodded as I began down the stairs, "I promise on God and the Star." I

called softly as the metal sheet slid back into place, erasing my presence from above.

Quickly I made my way down a section of tunnels, intersected by several wheel-locked hatch doors, not unlike the ones on the Reactor level and Maintenance. Soon I came to a metal wall very similar to the doors in the rest of the vault of common areas, except this one opened with a large switch beside the door. I pushed it and felt instant satisfaction.

Red buttons must be pushed.

With a smile still plastered on my face, I walked into a small storage room that housed large containers of ammunition- which were all locked with electronic locks… ah well. I sighed and turned open another hatch, pushing it open, I saw two security guards were lounging at a fold out table, talking loudly and playing what looked like poker.

I blanched, my eyes darting to the only exit then back to the guards, who looked at me with distaste as they rose from their seats. I bolted for the hatch diagonally to my left, yanking the wheel I pulled the door open enough to slip through and slammed it back against it's frame. As I turned the wheel I heard the guards yell for me to stop. I answered by sliding a formidable looking lead pipe through the wheel against the door.

Panting, as my heart slapped against my ribs I turned around and leant against the wall beside the hatch. With a short laugh chuckled and looked up at the cog-like door before me. Taking a few steps forward I gulped and jumped as a nearby security terminal flashed to life, start-up routines flashing across it's screen. If I knew my history right, the terminal was an identification check from a relay of terminals, one further in the vault in security if my memory was right.

Bending down, I inspected the terminal keyboard and jumped back as a face flashed onto the screen, a young, quite lovely but a very cruel person greeted me- Melanie Gale. "Melanie? How are you-" I stopped and shook my head, "Marko's doing this, right?"

Melanie regarded me with a wry grin, "Yes, he is something of a wonder. Made a distraction for our mother and security to deal with." she noticed my frown and she let out an audible sigh. "Nothing to hurt people Winter."

"Good, nobody should get hurt from me leaving," I replied. "Why are you contacting me Melanie?" I asked her. I was genuinely curious of why the Vault singer-slash-diva was suddenly interested in talking to me. Without some sort of pain attached.

"Because I want one more time to batter you." she laughed with a wry smile.

I shook my head back and forth, "Melanie… really?" I sighed, I never wanted to say this to her, I never wanted to hurt her. "I know the reason Melanie."

"Reason for what?" a delicate eyebrow rose above her left eye, hiding below her immaculate golden curled hair.

Bracing myself against the table I looked into her eyes, her sad green-blue flecked eyes, "I know that you have been hurt, you lash out when ever someone gets too close to you. Yes, you are kind to fans, children, in fact you are so kind to everyone in the vault." I frowned, a gentle crease etching my face. "I know that you cringe every time you sing."

The Caucasian beauty leered at me, her eyebrows arching down in fury. "When you sing, I hear such lovely waves of emotion and climbing finesse… I can hear your pain after. In the way you say thank you to the audience for such praise." I continued, not stopping my some-what cruel talk.

She looked up, anger burning in her eyes, "You know nothing Winter. Nothing of what is going on in this vault, or any nightmare that exists beyond connections and links." she bite her lip and looked away as the noise of the guards still continued behind me. Melanie exhaled and moved beyond the screen, fiddling with her Pip-Boy, tapping commands and a short beep pinged on her terminal. A few seconds later a small window popped up on the terminal screen before me, notifying me of a cache of files.

"Marko has blocked the speakers inside the entrance, you have very little time." her voice drifted over the terminal link, "Just go Ambi, go a wreck someone else's life."

"Melanie…?" I started to ask, what was she talking about? I called again, then realised that she was long gone.

Moments later, her gold-ochre haired twin stood in her place, "Winter, take these files. Don't ask, just take them and get out of here." he ordered me, and with that remark he left and the video-link shut down, which opened the smaller window onto the screen. What did that hacker think I would do for him? Why would I do anything for him? I sighed and tapped the terminal's built-in keyboard.

Curiosity got the better of me. I couldn't just leave whatever was sent to this terminal right here. The twins wanted me to have it for a reason- whether a joke, farce or something serious, I wasn't sure about it. Shortly I connected my Pip-Boy and gasped sharply as the F.o.F decided to do a mad dance of fits in front of my eyes. Squeezing my eyes shut, I grit my teeth as numerals, binary, cartographers, various technical specs flashed through my vision- several things I couldn't think of an apt name for too. All nonsense streamed over my eyelids, willing for the errant data to go away.

Within picoseconds the madness of binary and data left my vision. My eyes snapped open as the terminal beeped, reporting a new series of messages, some over 200 hundred years old and some seconds old.

** TERMINAL LOG-IN .2077**

_ Vault Twenty-four, 100% completed._

_ Starting relay network…_

_**! ERROR ! **__Radiation surge detected, lethal levels rising, accessing protocols…_

_ New relay found._

_ Preparing new transfer-_

_ Electrical unit unavailable space, searching…. Please wait._

_ Searching… lock-out activated, I.V.C.C. protocol_

_ Stand-by mode activated._

** TERMINAL LOG-IN .2276**

_ Detaching new viable network._

_ Accessing…_

_ Space exceedingly viable._

_ Transfer y/n?_

Wait, transfer what? By the Star, what was going on? Network, wait… I tried to stop my

Pip-Boy, realising that it was the only network, or large enough storage to hold such a vast amount of information.

_ Transfer request received, please wait…_

****_GR transferred._

****_DP transferred._

_ Error: Bio-match inconclusive._

_ Data storage Complete._

_ Error: Geographical data corrupted._

_ Error: Unknown defence system active. Synching…._

_ Error: AU-Network disconnected, searching…_

_ Error: Public Broadcast network down._

_ Error: Military network down._

_ Contacting Bureaus…. Bureaus unavailable._

_ Last location compass activated._

A sharp electric shock travelled up and down my body, making my hair frizz out as my sight returned to normal. Or what counted as normal to me. I massaged my arm, just above my

Pip-Boy as I stepped away from the terminal and turned to the vault entrance, still hearing the guards yell and by what I could tell, talking to someone who wasn't of security.

In my whole life I had never seen the massive cog-like door, in truth, the sight of it scared the hell out of me. My eyes travelled upwards to the heavy locking mechanism latched in place to keep us safe from the end of days, from the never-ending darkness that existed outside the door. Supposably what was out there was nothingness, a vast empty black pit, that if you stepped outside the vault, you would fall forever in the lonely darkness, screaming as the empty expanse tore your body apart. Wren-ding your body to pieces and destroying your very being, your mind swirling in the deep darkness forever in pain.

That was not a pleasant thought in my childhood, what little there was of it.

I had been five when Marko had told me that tidbit of horror and myth. Every day he would say that, the very idea of nothingness upset me and went out of his way to mention it, no matter where we were or what we were doing. He had the audacity to tell me of it while I was waiting for the bathroom once, a very busy morning and I had an accident from fear because of him.

I hiked my pack up on my shoulders higher, adjusting the straps so it hung between my shoulder blades and evenly distributed the weight. Being unsure as I was, I had packed my pack with obvious necessities; food, medicines and the like, in case of boredom I even packed my favorite comic about an odd blue hedgehog. Though I am partial to the comic a about a native American trapped in a prehistoric world facing dinosaurs and crazy natives for freedom. I checked my three canteens, one against my hip on a leather thong, a hip flask and a third in my pack. They were all full and all three had a CWC-filter (Clear Water Chip) in the cap, so purity of liquids weren't't a problem.

As I made my way over to the console, entering the voice over-ride command the Overseer gave me, I grasped the entrance consoles lever, pulling down with all the strength I could muster. The dang thing was stuck, which was odd considering it hadn't been used that long ago. You'd think someone would maintain it better, or at least send maintenance a note of

repair.

With a grunt, I pulled the lever down, the hatch behind me spun, the guards and Overseer yelling for me to stop and back away. I leapt down the steps, my boots thumping on the pocked metal as I sprinted towards a large container behind the consol to hide behind in case some of the guards, or Overseer were trigger happy.

"Stop!" a muffled voice shouted through the door as a warning klaxon blared to life, flashing red lights coming alive overhead.

With a deep sigh, I knew that voice. In my entire life I had always obeyed teachers and elders, being the good little girl. I glanced over my shoulder at the vault door, then back at the hatch, this time my family was more important than the duty to Vault.

The hatch opened behind me as I gazed at the vault door as the mechanism's blared to life, air hissed from pressure seals, steam fogging the entrance as the world itself shook around me. The bolts holding the door in place drew back gave me the idea that everything was falling apart. I just hope I hadn't done something wrong and this was God's wrath. I moved behind the consol, wondering if the steam meant the door would fly off its giant grooves and cart over the room and smash into me as the mechanical arm swung down from the ceiling, which was oddly remarkable clean, though I wondered how ceiling got dirty in the first place- latched onto the set marks in the door.

As I shuddered there, digging my fingers into the container as the arm pulled the protective door away, with surprising ease, a gut-wrenching squeal followed that would proceed to make my ears ring. I taped my ears, checking my hearing and realized that it was open.

I could leave.

"She opened the door…" one of the now, many guards whispered in fear by the hatch. "Enough, let me talk to her." the familiar voice of the head scientist stated. Stated was the right

word with her, she was stubborn, but not pigheaded and knew her limits.

"Very well Walker, but if you fail and she leaves, you know the protocol." the gruff, annoying voice of the Overseer demanded.

Behind me I heard the tell-tale slap of Vault-tec approved foot ware walk across the metal floor and by what I could tell, stopped by the entrance command consol. "Please come out."

With a sigh, I stood and walked a few steps to my side and faced her. "Don't try and stop me, I

will bring them back."

She regarded me with a calm and calculated look. "You don't have to do this." she brought up her Pip-Boy showing a tell-tale audio log screen. She selected one and pressed play. The Overseer's voice and hers filled the air.

_"They won't fail."_

_"Of course they won't, they success of the vault depends on it."_

_There was a pause. "You mean survival…. After all Overseer, this is not an experiment our the inhabitants. Just a precaution for our crops and cattle."_

_"For the vault, our people will survive through the three chosen. I will not have a repeat of what happened all those years ago. I will not be my great-grandmother."_

_"Overseer… you have nothing to fear, with their skills and training, Mc'Bree, and the two_

_Winter's will succeed." _her voice seemed to waver on the two Winter's mention.

The audio log stopped with a click. I stared up into the face of the woman before me, guilt plastered on her face as anger burned into me. "They won't come back you know. Gaspar hated the vault, I know Bell would help him any she could and Clarisse would not leave those two alone to fend for themselves."

Her reply was a sad nod. She knew that they would do this the moment they could leave. No matter what they said, she knew that those three especially would leave to make their own way in the world. A thought crossed my mind, "What do we need outside the vault? What could be so important that you would risk lives?"

"A disease, a mutation that is causing problems in the cattle and crops. Over the past twenty years there has been a decrease in calving, produce yield and if nothing is done, the cattle will die off or become sterile." she looked at her Pip-Boy, her eye's skimming data. "We estimate that there is enough fresh food for several months, and enough pre-war food stockpiled for a year."

"Of course there are embryo's and frozen bovine samples in case of scenario's like this right?" I asked, fearing that those might be somehow contaminated too.

With a grave look she closed her eyes. "There are very few left, the disease is acting so fast that we have little chance of changing it without specialized equipment from one of the Bureau's. Specifically, B.o.H, B.S.T or from B.o.E.H.M."

I had no idea what those abbreviations meant. I probably would know if I paid any attention in history class. My jaw clenched as guards milled around the hatch, waiting for a signal or any sign to subdue me. "I have to do this." I spoke softly, ignoring the look the Overseer was giving my over Walker's shoulder.

"If you leave, without Overseer clearance, you know that you cannot be let back in. No matter what you retrieve."

A sharp smile etched my face, "Protocol above everything huh…" I took a step back and looked over my shoulder into a dark tunnel. I could leave right now. I looked back, seeing stormy blue eyes with flecks of grey and yellow. I remained still, realizing my hand was still near my ear as I stared at the open entrance way. I could leave, and I was scared of what lay outside. What

terrible things awaited past the small entrance hall I had seen in the 1st level schematic and security monitor, what lay just outside?

Though a part of me knew that there were others who could do this job, others that could go out and search for my family and enact the Retrieval Project. Many were better qualified and hell, at least many more knew how to shoot a gun for defence or knew how to hack a computers defence or use a repair skill to maintain their possessions, which I am sure would be a very handy thing outside a vault.

Almost involuntarily I took another step backwards.

"Please… please don't do this Ambi." Walker pleaded, "I can't bear losing another family member."

I looked into her eyes with shock crawling across my face. She always believed in protocol, acting in a certain way and being more open at home life. That had she had always been moderately cold towards me. I gave her a sad but sincere smile for what I was about to do. "I promise, I will come back. I promise to bring back the cure, remedy or whatever for the vault."

Mrs. Walker gave me a soft smile, she walked forward grabbing my shoulder blocking my from the Hatches view. "Go little Ambi, be safe and please come back." she whispered and kissed my forehead, slipping several things into my pack then made a mock grunt. "Winter, stay still, guards!" she cried, pushing me away.

I glanced into her eyes, her fevering look screaming at me to run. I could stay, just forget this and go back to my sad life of meaningless boredom. Was I doing this for adventure? Perhaps. Greed? Yes. Safety would come with the cost of guilt, regret and knowing I would be cushy and safe in vault that would die, while god knows what the trio that left were going through.

"Guards! Shoot her!" the Overseer screamed, pushing past my mother on the steps.

I inhaled sharply and ran across the inset metal flooring as I heard the audible clack of guns being raised, something flew past my head as I stepped out and over the vaults cog-shaped doorway, onto a slab of cement.

Stumbling back against the wall next to the vault entrance I bite my lip and pressed a hand over my heart as the guards milled on the other side, fearing the dark tunnel, more so fearing the idea of stepping outside the door and being sealed out.

Of course I was afraid too; needless to say that the loud clang of the steel door had frazzled my already jumbled nerves. Why would a door need to make that much noise? Was someone stupid enough to stand by it and get caught in one as it closed? I pondered that this was ridiculous.

The Overseer screamed over and over for them to get me, he himself not moving an inch to do it himself. In case they did decide to come after me, I decided to move while I could. As I was standing in the dark, apparently no-one had thought to put a light just outside the vault door during construction. However, I knew the light of my Pip-Boy would give me away, I placed a hand over the raw stone wall off the tunnel and followed it. After taking a corner or two I taped my Pip-Boy's light function as I started to walk in what I had assumed was a mining tunnel of some sort, I was walking on what felt like gravel after all. I glanced down and my eyes went wide.

I was walking through piles of snapped bones.

By a glance, I could tell that the bones were not human by the size, but that didn't reassure me at all. Some of the bones looked large enough to be from a cat, certainly not a rats prey, maybe from a wild dog and it's pack. Carefully, I continued down the tunnel, guided by the soft glow of my Pip-Boy I spotted something scratched into the wall with a faded piece of paper taped next to it. Bending down, I read the faded blood smeared words;

_'Here lies Betrayal.'_

Blinking I titled my head, what was I meant to make of that. Was this a metaphor, or that someone was dead. I looked down, noticing a faded area in the scrabble of rock and dirt that there was at some time blood there. Not knowing who or what Betrayal was, or where his or her remains had gone, I picked the paper off the wall and unfolded it, reading the contents.

_To anyone who leaves the Vault-24,_

_We knew that someone would come along, eventually if not immediately after we left, learning of our intentions. We buried Betrayal's remains, seeing as no one before us had the conscience or decency to. Return to the vault, when you do, inform the Overseer that we are truly sorry._

_You may have thought we did not know. We knew and remember what you have chosen_

_Overseer, who's rules you follow and what they do to those you lead and love._

_Maxwell Dirk ''First'' Overseer, Natasha Yuri and Archie Fowl, vault 24 Retrieval team .2100_

Below that in bold black ink was a scribbling of familiar writing, '_Gasper McBree, Clarisse and_

_Belle Winter, vault 24 the 2nd retrieval team .2276'_. Impossible.

No one had ever left the vault before a few weeks ago It was imperative that no none left. The world was too damaged and irradiated for us to life outside safely. After this, I would be lucky to not die from radiation sickness and live past 30 when I return to the vault. …if I did return at all. Including with what my mother said, I would not be let in at all. I did not hold that much faith in myself. I would find the second team and I would stay alive until that is completed. May God do what he wills after that.

Stepping past where Betrayal died, I copied the paper onto my Pip-Boy, tapped the paper back on the wall and noticed the stone walls were becoming smoother, until the stone turned into dark monotonous gray cement. I looked around in my Pip-Boys glow, cement walls, ceiling and floor. Maybe someone's underground shelter, a basement or storage room for a shop.

Making my way forward, I surveyed the room finding nothing to indicate that someone had lived here anytime recently, just scattered garbage and debris. I turned into a small opening on the far wall, into a small space that contained an funny shaped oversize tool-cabinet in an odd shade off-blue next to a set of stairs. With no other option I climbed up the stairs to the door.

Closing my eyes I griped the handle and took a deep breath. I turned the tarnished knob, it clicked as I swung open the door. Keeping my eyes closed, I stepped from the world I knew and into the unknown.

- Footnote: Level up!

Quest Perk: Unknown World - Gaining freedom from a hostile place that was once home, you gain the ability to talk to others who have experienced the same difficulties as you with +5 to Speech and unique dialogue options.

New Perk: Prepared - When things happen, you planned ahead and have the insight to not run headlong into anything without adequate supplies, you gain +5 Survival and Medicine. (level One)

Quest Items: Data files of GR and DP.


End file.
